Gas charging apparatus with check valve



March 8, 1966 J. B. WILSON GAS CHARGING APPARATUS WITH CHECK VALVE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1964 INVENTOR.

JOHN B. WILSQN BY W HIS ATTORNEYS March 8, 1966 J. B. WILSON 3,239,101

GAS CHARGING APPARATUS WITH CHECK VALVE Filed Feb. 11, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN B. WlLSQN United States Patent 3,239,101 GAS CHARGING APPARATUSWITH CHECK VALVE John B. Wilson, Richmond, Va., assignor to ReynoldsMetals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware.

Filed Feb. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 344,151 13 Claims. (Cl. 22252) Thisinvention relates to a gas charging apparatus, with check valve, andring spreader.

One of the features of this invention concerns an improved check valveconstruction having a rubber-like tube with slit means in its side walland with a relatively solid cylindraceous member in said tube adjacentsaid slit means to prevent inward collapse of the tube.

Another object of this invention includes a gas charging container to beplaced in a charged liquid container with support means for the gascontainer attachable to a liquid container, with gas pressure reducingmeans carried by the support means which discharges reduced pressure gasthrough a cylindraceous extension of the support, and with a flexiblerubber-like cylindraceous tube having a side wall, a closed end and anopen end over such cylindraceous extension, and with slit means in theside wall of the tube, and with a relatively solid cylindraceous memberin such tube adjacent the slit means to prevent inward collapse of thetube.

Another feature of this invention includes a gas charging container tobe placed in a charged liquid container with the gas charging containerhaving an outward flange to be secured to the liquid container by aninwardly biased split ring which is held in a groove and which extendsover the flange to hold the gas container in the liquid container.

Anotherfeature of this invention includes a split ring spreading meansfor the inwardly biased split ring, which spreading means has a firststring structure with radially movable spreader teeth engaging the splitring and having a second ring structure which is relatively rotatablewith respect to the first ring structure and having means to spreadteeth outwardly to spread the split ring when it is desired to remove agas receptacle or the like from a liquid receptacle, or the like.

Other features are apparent from this description, the appended claimedsubject matter, and/ or the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in cross section, and partly inelevation, showing the charging gas container placed in the chargedliquid container.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section of a portion of the liquid container and ofthe gas container.

FIGURE 3 is an enlargement of a portion of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross section along the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of pertinent portions shown in FIGURE 6, inreduced scale.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section along line 6-6 of FIG- URE 5 in enlargedscale.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, but showing certain parts indifferent positions.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged cross section along line 8-8 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 9 is a reduced scale end view of the lower 3,239,101 PatentedMar. 8, 1966 ring structure shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 with radial slotsfor receiving the spreader teeth.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged view along line 10-10 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 11 is a reduced scale view of the inwardly biased split ring.

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged View of a portion of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 13 is a cross section along the line 13-13 of FIGURE 6.

According to this invention, a charging or propelling gas container 20may be placed in and removed from a charged or propelled liquidcontainer 22. Support means 24 for the gas container is attachable tothe liquid container 22.

Gas pressure reducing means is carried by the support means 24 and mayhave an inlet 26 that receives high pressure gas from the gas container20. The pressure reducing means discharges reduced pressure gas througha reduced pressure outlet 27 and through passageways 28 and 30. Thepassageway 30 passes through a cylindraceous discharge extension 32which extension may be part of the support means 24.

If desired, the passageway 30 may have a reduced portion or orifice 34,through which the reduced pressure gas discharges into the surroundingspace 36 within the liquid container 22, through a check valve.

The check valve may include a flexible, rubber-like tube 38, which maybe cylindraceous. The tube 30 may have a side wall 40, a closed end 42and an open end 44 which is placed over the discharge extension 32. Theside wall 40 of the tube 38 may be provided with slit means, which maybe in the form of one or more parallel longitudinal siits 44. Forexample, there may be two diametrically opposed longitudinal slits 44,if desired.

The slit means, such as the longitudinal slits 44,-opens when thepressure in the tube 38 is greater than the pressure outside of thetube, and closes when the pressure outside of the tube 38 is greaterthan the gas pressure inside of the tube 38.

A relatively solid member 46, which may by cylindraceous, may be placedin the tube 38 adjacent to the slit means 44 to prevent inward collapseof the tube when the pressure outside the tube becomes relativelygreater than the pressure inside the tube. As shown, the member 46 isalso placed adjacent the closed end 42, and the member 46 is maintainedadjacent the closed end 42 because the extension 32 extends sufficientlyclose and adjacent to the member 46 to prevent the member 46 from movingfar from the slit means 44 and from the end 42.

The cylindraceous member 46 may be made or" aluminum alloy 606 l-T6, forexample.

In the embodiment shown, the tube 38 may be 1 and )5 inches long, 7 inchoutside diameter, 5 inch wall thickness with the slits 44 being inchlong. The tube may be made of any suitable rubber or rubber-likecompound. The cylindrical member 46 may be inch long and inch indiameter. The restricting passageway or orifice 34 may be .024 inch indiameter and inch in length. The extension 32 may be /2 inch long. Thepassageway 30 may be from .092 to .095 inch in diameter. The extension32 may be .250 inch in external diameter. The tube 38, before it isapplied to the extension 32, may have an inside length of opening of 1inch, with an internal diameter of V inch. The slits 44 may have theirupper ends, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 a distance of ;562 to .593inch 'from the upper end of the tube.

In the embodiment shown, the liquid container 22 may be capable ofstoring a substantial amount of beverage, such as in the order of 500cu. inches of beer and the like, together with a charging or propellinggas container within the beverage container, such as a sealed tubecontainer or bottle 48, within the beverage container, capable ofholding a suflicient quantity of charging or propelling gas, such as COin liquid form, to maintain the beverage or other liquid in propercharged or propelling condition as the liquid is gradually dispensedfrom the liquid container 22 for drinking purposes, and the like.

The support means 24 for the gas container 48 is attachable to theliquid container 22 by a flanged construction such as shown in FIGURES2, 3, 6, 7 and 10.

The support 24 may have an outward circular flange 50, and the liquidcontainer 22 has a circular recess 52 which receives the flange 50. Theliquid container 22 also has an outward groove 54 which receives aninwardly biased split ring 56. The ring 56 may be split at 57. The splitring 56 may contract when released, and may extend over and hold theoutward circular flange of support 24 sealed in the circular recess 52of liquid container 22.

A circular, resilient O-ring 58, which may be made of rubber-likematerial, is first placed in the recess 52, and then the support 24,with its outward flange 50 is placed in the recess 52 against the O-ring58 and is pressed down, while the split ring 56 is held outwardly, as inFIGURE 7, by the split ring spreading means 60. The support 24 is pusheddownwardly, by any suitable means, sufliciently to be. substantially inthe position shown in FIGURE 7, and then the split ring 56 is releasedto contract inwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 6, with the ringflange 62 extending over the outward flange 50 of the support 24 to holdthe support 24 securely in place in sealed condition. If desired, thesupport 24 may have a plastic cover placed or snapped over it.

The split ring 56 may be spread outwardly, and may be allowed tocontract inwardly by the spreading means which is elsewhere more fullydescribed.

The support means'24 may contain an automatic pressure reducing valveconstruction 64 with a valve construction inlet 26 receiving charginggas from the gas container 48. The valve construction 64 may have avalve construction outlet 27 to discharge reduced pressure gas into thepassageways 28, 30 and 32, past the check valve 38 and into thesurrounding space 36 within the liquid container 22.

The pressure reducing construction 64 may include a tube 68 having arestricting orifice 70 through which the high pressure gas enters andpasses through the tube 68 and into the space 72. From there it enters atire inflation type of valve 74 with a stem 76 which allows the gas topass through the valve 74 whenever the stem 76 is pushed down and closeswhen the stem 76 is released. A button 78 of a diaphragm assembly 80pushes down on the stem 76 whenever the pressure in the space 82 fallsslightly below the desired pressure, and releases the stem 76 when thepressure in the space 82 rises slightly above the desired pressure. Anytype of diaphragm assembly may be used which produces the desiredexpanded gas pressure in the passageways 28 and 30 as the gas passesfrom the space 82 through the outlet 27 into such passageways 28 and 30.

Other valves may be carried by the support 24. For example, a pop-offvalve 84 may open whenever the pressure in the space 36 becomes toogreat. It will discharge such over pressure gas through the passageway86 and will rupture the plastic cover 90 which may be placed over theend of the support 24 and around the flange 50. Another pop-01f valve 88may open when the pressure in the passageways 28 and 30 become too greatand likewise any over pressure gas may be released through thepassageway 92 and will rupture the coverv 90.

Other passageways and valve structures 94 and 96, FIGURES 6 and 7, maybe provided in the support 24, which are not specifically germane tothis invention, and hence are not further described.

The slit ring spreading means 60 may have a lower ring structure 98 andan upper ring structure 100. These ring structures 98 and 100 arerelatively rotatable with respect to each other, and when so rotated,inwardly and outwardly move the radially movable spreader teeth 102 toand from the positions shown respectively in FIG- URES 6 and 7. Theinwardly biased split ring 56 has an inward flange 62 which produces afinger receiving groove 104, FIGURE 10, into which the lower ends of theteeth 102 extend and where these teeth produce their spreading orcontracting action on the split ring 56.

As is apparent, many words are used in this application which indicaterelative position, relative direction, etc. These words are used for thesake of clearness and brevity in description. However, it is to beunderstood that such words are used in connection with the specificpositions shown in the drawings, and that the members described inconnection with these words may have entirely diflerent positions in theactual device during use, transportation, etc. Examples of these wordsare upper, lower, upward, downward, etc.

Any mechanical construction may be used which will cause the teeth 102to move radially in and out in response to the relative rotation of thering structures 98 and 100. By way of example, the ring structures 98and 100 may be relatively rotated by a screw 106 which engages the teeth108 of the upper ring 100 to cause this relative rotation between thering structures 98 and 100. The screw 106 may be rotated by a shaft 110,which may be turned by a crank or wheel, not shown, or the like. Theshaft 110 may be carried by the vertical flanges 112 which are carriedby the platform or extension 114 of the lower ring structure 98. Ifdesired, a rack vgear may be used instead of the screw 106 to turn ring100.

The lower ring structure 98 may be made, if desired, in the form of tworings 1 1-6 and 118 which may be secured together bry welding, bolting,etc. The ring 118 may be of continuous annular shape, whereas the ring116 may have a plurality of notches which receive the upper horizontalportions 122 of the spreader teeth 102. The ring 118 supports thehorizontal portions 122 within the notches 120, and allows the teeth 102to slide back and forth within the notches 120.

The ring 118 may have a downward flange construction 119 which can fitover the neck 121 of the liquid container 121 to hold the split ringspreader on the neck 121 while the gas receptacle support 24 is beinginserted in or removed from the liquid container 22. The ring spreader60 is placed temporarily on neck 121 when receptacle 20 is to beinserted in or removed from receptacle 22.

The ring structures 98 and 100 may be held together in a relativelyslidable relationship as is evident from FIGURES 5 and 8. The ring 100has a plurality of arc-shaped slots 124 which receive the screw bolts126. The screw bolts 126 may have heads 128 which are sufficiently wideto hold the ring structure 100 from axial movement. The screws 126 mayengage the threaded openings 130 in the rings 116 and 118. Theunthreaded portion of the screw bolt 126 may have a shoulder 132 whichengages the top of ring 116. In this manner, the ring structures 98 and100 may be held from axial displacement with respect to each other, butmay be permitted to rotate relatively to each other for the distance ofthe arc-shaped slots 124. The teeth 102 may be radially reciprocated bythe relative rotation of the rings 98 and 100 by means of pins 134 whichare rigidly secured to the horizontal portion 122 5. of the teeth 102,and which slidably engage the slanting and eccentric slots 136 in thering 100.

Therefore, rotation of the screw 106 rotates the ring 100 with respectto the ring structure 98. This causes the screws 126 to move back andforth in the arc-shaped slots 124 as the ring structures 98 and 100rotate relatively to each other. At the same time, the pins 134 movelongitudinally of the slots 136. These slots 136 are eccentn'callyslanted with respect to the center 138, which is the center of the ringstructures 98 and 100.

The charged liquid or beverage in container 22 may be discharged througha faucet 138 under the control of a valve 140 which may be opened andclosed by a handle 142. The liquid may enter the discharge tube 144 atits inlet 146 near the bottom of the container 22 and may be fed undercharging or propellant gas pressure into the valve 140 for dischargethrough the faucet 138.

It is thus to be seen that a new, unobvious and useful construction hasbeen provided.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed asrequired by statute, other forms may be used, all coming within thescope of the claimed subject matter which follows.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination comprising: a charging gas container to be placed in acharged liquid container; support means for said gas containerattachable to said liquid container; an automatic pressure reducingvalve in said support means with a valve inlet receiving charging gasfrom said gas container and having a valve outlet to discharge reducedpressure gas into the surrounding space within said liquid containerwhich is outside said gas container; a charging gas restrictor meansrestricting the flow of charging gas to said valve inlet; a reducedpressure gas passageway in said support extending from said valve outletand having a cylindraceous extension into said surrounding space; and acheck valve in the form of a flexible, rubber-like cylindraceous tubehaving a cylindraceous side wall, a closed end and an open end over saidextension, an upper portion of said side wall surrounding said extensionand a lower portion of said side wall extending below said extension,said lower portion of said side wall having slit means below saidcylindraceous extension which opens when pressure in said tube isgreater than the pressure outside said tube, and closes when thepressure outside said tube is greater than the pressure inside saidtube.

2. A combination according to claim 1 having a relatively solidcylindraceous member loosely held in said cylindraceous tube adjacentsaid slit means below said cylindraceous extension to prevent inwardcollapse of said tube.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which said slit means includesa longitudinal slit in said side wall below said cylindraceousextension.

4. A combination according to claim 1 in which said slit means includestwo diametrically opposed parallel longitudinal slits in said side wallbelow said cylindraceous extension.

5. A combination according to claim 4 having a relatively solidcylindraceous member loosely held in said tube adjacent said slits andbelow said cylindraceous extension to prevent inward collapse of saidtube.

6. A combination according to claim 1 in which said support means has anoutward circular flange and said liquid container has a circular recessreceiving said flange and a circular outward groove adjacent saidrecess; and an inwardly biased split ring in said outward grooveextending over and holding said outward circular flange seated in saidcircular recess.

7. A combination comprising: a charging gas con tainer to be placed in acharged liquid container; support means for said gas containerattachable to said liquid container; an automatic pressure reducingvalve in said support means with a valve inlet receiving charging gasfrom said gas container and having a valve outlet to discharge reducedpressure gas into the surrounding space within said liquid containerwhich is outside said gas container; a charging gas restrictor meansrestricting the flow of charging gas to said valve inlet; a reducedpressure. gas passageway in said support extending from said valveoutlet and having a cylindraceous extension into said surrounding space;and a check valve in the form of a flexible, rubber-like cylindraceoustube having a cylindraceous side wall, a closed end and an open end oversaid extension, said side wall having split means which opens whenpressure in said tube is greater than the pressure outside said tube,and closes when the pressure outside said tube is greater that thepressure inside said tube, in which said support means has an outwardcircular flange and said liquid container has a circular recessreceiving said flange and a circular outward groove adjacent saidrecess; and an inwardly biased split ring in said outward grooveextending out and holding said outward circular flange seated in saidcircular recess, and including split ring spreading means having a lowerring structure with radially movable spreader teeth engaging said splitring and having upward pins, an upper ring structure having eccentricgrooves receiving said pins, and means relatively to rotate said ringsto spread said teeth radially outward to spread said split ring.

8. A combination comprising: a charging gas container to be placed in acharged liquid container; support means for said gas containerattachable to said liquid container; gas pressure reducing means carriedby said support means with an inlet receiving high pressure gas fromsaid gas container and discharging reduced pressure gas through areduced pressure gas passageway in said support and through acylindraceous discharge extension of said support into the surroundingspace within the liquid container; and a flexible, rubber-likecylindraceous tube having a side wall, a closed end and an open end oversaid cylindraceous discharge extension said tube having an upper portonof said side wall surrounding said extension and a lower portion of saidside wall extending below said extension, said lower portion having slitmeans in said side wall of said tube below said extension.

9. A combination according to claim 8 having a relatively solidcylindraceous member loosely held in said tube below said extensionadjacent said slit means to prevent inward collapse of said tube.

10. A combination according to claim 8 in which said slit means includestwo parallel longitudinal slits in said side wall below said extension.

11. A combination according to claim 10 having a relatively solidcylindraceous member loosely held in said tube below said extension andadjacent said slits to prevent inward collapse of said tube.

12. A combination comprising: a flexible rubber-like tube having a sidewall, a closed end and an open end with an upper portion of said sidewall to fit over a discharge extension and with a lower portion of saidside wall extending below said extension, with said lower portion havingslit means in said side wall, said combination having a relatively solidmember in said tube loosely held in said lower portion adjacent saidslit means to prevent inward collapse of said tube.

13. A combination comprising: a flexible rubber-like tube having a sidewall, a closed end and an open end with an upper portion of said tubewall to fit over a dis- .charge extension and with a lower portion ofsaid side wall extending below said extension, with said lower portionhaving slit means in said side wall, said combination having arelatively solid member in said tube loosely held in said lower portionadjacent said slit means to prevent inward collapse of said tube, and inwhich said slit means includes two parallel longitudinal slits in saidside wall below said extension, and having a relatively solidcylindraceous member loosely held in said tube below said extensionadjacent said slits to prevent inward collapse 2,601,547 6/1952 Minock222229 X of said tube. 2,774,083 12/1956 Stern 10-122 3,024,800 3/1962Lewis 222399 X Refeences cted byfle Examm 3,039,661 6/1962 Wentz et a1.22-464 X UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 3,127,059 3/1964 Lawrence et al 222-52x 480,400 9/1892 D W 1f 137-525 1,50 4 9 1924 ir u M 10 122 LOUIS EM Q mW Examiner- 2,021,731 11/ 193 Leings 2 24 X HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION COMPRISING: A CHARGING GAS CONTAINER TO BE PLACED IN ACHARGED LIQUID CONTAINER; SUPPORT MEANS FOR GAS CONTAINER ATTACHABLE TOSAID LIQUID CONTAINER; AN AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE IN SAIDSUPPORT MEANS WITH A VALVE INLET RECEIVING CHARGING GAS FROM SAID GASCONTAINER AND HAVING A VALVE OUTLET TO DISCHARGE REDUCED PRESSURE GASINTO THE SURROUNDING SPACE WITHIN SAID LIQUID CONTAINER WHICH IS OUTSIDESAID GAS CONTAINER; A CHARGING GAS RESTRICTOR MEANS RESTRICTING THE FLOWOF CHARGING GAS TO SAID VALVE INLET; A REDUCED PRESSURE GAS PASSAGEWAYIN SAID SUPPORT EXTENDING FROM SAID VALVE OUTLET AND HAVING ACYLINDRACEOUS EXTENSION INTO SAID SURROUNDING SPACE; AND A CHECK VALVEIN THE FORM OF A FLEXIBLE, RUBBER-LIKE CYLINDRACEOUS TUBE HAVING ACYLINDRACEOUS SIDE WALL, A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END OVER SAIDEXTENSION, AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID SIDE WALL SURROUNDING SAID EXTENSIONAND A LOWER PORTION OF SAID SIDE WALL EXTENDING BELOW SAID EXTENSION,SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID SIDE WALL HAVING SLIT MEANS BELOW SAIDCYLINDRACEOUS EXTENSION WHICH OPENS WHEN PRESSURE IN SAID TUBE ISGREATER THAN THE PRESSURE OUTSIDE SAID TUBE, AND CLOSES WHEN THEPRESSURE OUTSIDE SAID TUBE IS GREATER THAN THE PRESSURE INSIDE SAIDTUBE.